


From the Office of Deputy Chief William Dodds

by FreckledSkittles



Series: Barisi Is Married and Happy Because I Said So [8]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: ADA Carisi, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Letters, M/M, Married Barisi, Mike Dodds Lives, Oh also, Other, POV Outsider, he deserves better change my mind, i mean kinda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:46:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23346394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreckledSkittles/pseuds/FreckledSkittles
Summary: "Some may call this gossip, but I’d like to think it’s more than that. This is a list of what you can expect from SVU throughout your tenure. I know I will not be able to write down everything, but I hope what I can provide will be enough to prepare you for your job."Or: William Dodds gossips about Manhattan SVU to the new Deputy Chief.
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Series: Barisi Is Married and Happy Because I Said So [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1405030
Comments: 18
Kudos: 94





	From the Office of Deputy Chief William Dodds

**Author's Note:**

> I,..,,..,.,love William Dodds

_A Letter to the New Deputy Chief, Manhattan Special Victims Unit_   
_From the Office of Deputy Chief William Dodds_

_Chief Garland,_

_I cannot explain the relief I felt when I heard you were going to take over as Deputy Chief for Manhattan SVU. I have complete faith in your abilities and look forward to hearing the success that this unit will bring under your tenure and the justice they will most certainly deliver. I cannot recommend these detectives enough, nor the Assistant District Attorneys who will surely be making their rounds through the precinct._

_As is customary for former Chiefs, I am writing to speak to you about the specific details that go on in the 16th precinct. I have no doubt that you will become well-adjusted over the weeks, months and hopefully years. I simply want to help you understand what you are getting yourself into._

_Manhattan Special Victims Unit is one of the NYPD’s most elite units. They see some of the worst crimes happen to innocent individuals but they keep on fighting despite the tragedies. Olivia Benson is the most passionate Captain a Chief could ask for, and I am grateful for the years I have spent by her side. Her detectives, though they may dwindle in numbers, are bright and have unlimited potential. I can only assure you that they will go beyond your expectations._

_This does not mean they are without their own faults, of course. They can walk along legal lines; let’s say their dedication can be too strong sometimes and blur the lines between what they want and what they’re given. I cannot count the number of times I’ve had to remind them what their job is, but I never meant ill will towards them. They know their duties. They’re good at their jobs. Adapt your patience to their positions, and the results you expect will come._

_I could go on, but I think it’s best to simply add the list I wrote for you and pass on what I know. Some may call this gossip, but I’d like to think it’s more than that. This is a list of what you can expect from SVU throughout your tenure. I know I will not be able to write down everything, but I hope what I can provide will be enough to prepare you for your job._

  * _**They are a family, and they will expand to include you in it if you so wish.** I grew tired of the cliches other precincts used to describe their workplace. But SVU is tight-knit. They always have been. Get used to seeing former detectives stopping by for a visit or a chat.  
_
  * _**Olivia Benson is always right.  
**_
  * _**Sonny Carisi has a law degree from Fordham University and is not afraid to use it.** I haven’t come across many cops with law degrees—the only one I can remember off the top of my head is Cyrus Lupo from former Lieutenant Van Buren’s squad. But Sonny is different. He will most likely be fully transferred to the DA’s office by the time you start, but he is a force nonetheless._


  * _I should probably add: **Dominick Carisi, Jr. likes to go by “Sonny.”** He may seem old for it, but he’s the one person I know of who actually deserves the nickname. You can choose whether to call him that or not. If it grows on you, let it._


  * _**Mike, my son, visits every Wednesday for lunch and gossip.** Don’t be alarmed—he was the Sergeant here a few years ago and still acts like he’s a part of them. He and Sonny are best friends._


  * _**Mike and Sonny are best friends.** This is a good and a bad thing. Keep your eyes open. They’re generally tame, but they can get chaotic if they aren’t busy enough. When they’re good, they are a perfect example of best friends being in love with each other. They have framed photos of each other on their desks. The frames match._


  * _**Amanda Rollins and Sonny are not allowed to place bets on other cops when they’re on the job.** This includes other precincts. Olivia’s orders. Explaining it would simultaneously break confidentiality and take up the rest of my stationary. If you don’t mention “Newark’s side of the Hudson” around them, you should be good._


  * _**Sergeant Tutuola is Fin.** Yes, he’s a Sergeant. Yes, it’s shortened from Odafin. Everyone calls him Fin. That’s his name._


  * _**ADA Rafael Barba and Sonny are married.** They disclosed years ago. Their wedding was the talk of the precinct. They have two rescue pups at their apartment. If you find yourself doubting romance in this day and age, they will reignite it for you._


  * _**That being said, if you find Rafael sitting in Sonny’s lap, don’t be alarmed. This is normal.** If they spend too much time apart between any number of days, Sonny gets handsy. Nothing explicit. But they tread on the line of PDA in the workplace. And they keep it family friendly when there’s a stranger among them. You might not need to worry about this, but you can never be too safe with a married couple that will most likely never exit the honeymoon stage._


  * _**Another note on Rafael Barba: he will come off as an asshole when you meet. Don’t take it personally.** It took me two and a half years of knowing him to earn the privilege of calling him “Rafael” after hours. But right now, off the record, he is currently trying to move up the ranks and was passed up for Bureau Chief—a position he was highly deserving of—due to some internal corruption at the Sex Crimes Bureau. Last I heard, Hate Crimes had offered their position, but he’s hesitant to leave right when his husband is making his way in. I recommended teaching. He shot the idea down immediately, but I heard through Mike that he was meeting with the law schools at Columbia and NYU. Again, off the record, and I’m sure he would despise me telling you. But he has become part of their family as much as I have. He means well. It is simply rough right now._


  * _**Animal nicknames are an everyday occurrence.** I won’t reveal all of them, but: Sonny is a giraffe and Mike is a sun bear. I am legally obligated to say I do not know what Rafael’s is._


  * _**Rafael is a koala.** You didn’t hear it from me. Sonny will probably make a joke about it in your first week._


  * _**Olivia Benson is, in fact, called “Mom” when she’s not in the room.** She knows. And it’s true._


  * _**Frannie is Amanda’s oldest child.** Technically, Frannie is her pitbull, and Jesse is her oldest. But according to Amanda, “you can’t prove that.”_


  * _**Their arguments are explosive.** At some point or another, they will fight over something. Amanda is not prone to butting heads with everyone in the room; Sonny, being Italian and having grown up with sisters, knows how to argue. Fin is the quickest to forgive and forget; Rafael never learned the words unless Sonny is attached to them. Olivia is the peacekeeper, even when she gets involved in a disagreement. If you get caught in the middle of it, wait it out and try not to butt in and stop it. Only Olivia Benson can stop their arguments. Trust me._


  * _**You will always have something to eat.** Sonny Carisi is known for saying that feeding others is in his blood. He will always have food handy (his husband is a big snacker); he will always have extras from Sunday dinners; he has and will cook for the entire precinct. If it’s not the best home Italian cooking you’ve ever had, I will personally reimburse you._


  * **_This will be your work. They will answer to you. But they can sense when a person needs a family. And they will welcome you with open arms._**



_This is what I can think of for now. If I can think of more, I’ll let you know._

_Manhattan SVU is a special place. They are a loyal, eccentric, dedicated, facetious bunch. But they are one of a kind. I cannot find any detectives better fit for their jobs. And you can see it when former detectives visit, or when they work on a case, or when they come together and push past differences and complications to achieve proper justice._

_Welcome to SVU. I hope you enjoy your stay._

_William Dodds_   
_Emeritus Deputy Chief_   
_Manhattan Special Victims Unit_


End file.
